PITTSBURGH, PA– The world’s first commercial “flying car” will go the distance on both highways and runways next year when it rolls off the production line — thanks, in part, to design optimization from ANSYS (NASDAQ: ANSS).


Terrafugia’s beta prototype design is shown in a near wing-stall case, with the propeller being modeled using software from ANSYS. Image courtesy Terrafugia.

Massachusetts-based Terrafugia used ANSYS® engineering simulation software to design and verify its new production prototype of the Transition® aircraft that also can drive on the highway. Terrafugia engineers conducted whole-vehicle airflow tests that assessed the effects of design changes on overall performance — working in parallel across the various Transition components. The simulations were used to maximize wing lift in the air and to minimize the effects of crosswinds along the road.

Terrafugia’s beta prototype design is shown cruising at 105 mph, with the propeller being modeled using software from ANSYS. Image courtesy Terrafugia.

“The Transition’s test flights identified some important engineering issues that ANSYS fluid dynamics software helped us to address in the production prototype,” said Gregor Cadman, an engineer at Terrafugia. “Our latest design improves both the in-air and on-road performance of the Transition, as well as ensures that the vehicle lends itself to full-scale manufacturing. Simulation software from ANSYS played a central role in these engineering efforts. Without the ability to work in a virtual environment, we would have had to construct complicated physical models, modify or rebuild them, and conduct hours of real-world testing, slowing down the process and adding significantly to development costs.”

Terrafugia’s beta prototype design is shown cruising at 105 mph from a rear perspective. Image courtesy Terrafugia.

The Transition is the world’s first vehicle to combine a lightweight, aerodynamic aircraft with the stability needed for long-distance driving on the highway. The vehicle can cruise up to 490 miles at over 105 miles per hour, can drive at highway speeds on the road, and is capable of transforming from plane to car in less than 30 seconds. The sophisticated design features foldable wings that span more than 26 feet, a rear-wheel-drive system for the road and a propeller for flight. Terrafugia’s team of aeronautical engineers earned global attention when the Transition proof-of-concept vehicle completed a successful 60-second test flight in March 2009. The company expects to begin commercial production of the vehicle in 2011.

Terrafugia’s proof-of-concept vehicle is shown in an actual flight configuration. ANSYS engineering simulation was used to validate Terrafugia’s models and to learn more about the vehicle. Image courtesy Terrafugia.

Working closely with ANSYS product specialists, the Terrafugia engineering team also studied the impact of the Transition’s propeller on air flows around the vehicle. As the project developed over time, engineers applied simulation tools to study ever-smaller and more precise design modifications, which added to their confidence that the Transition will perform well in flight testing.

“The dual challenges of driving and flying present significant challenges for aeronautical engineers,” said Greg Stuckert, aerospace industry manager at ANSYS. “Terrafugia’s use of engineering simulation to fine-tune designs throughout the development process — not just at the end for verification — contributed to an optimized historic vehicle and an efficient product launch. Their earlier successful test flights and this year’s production prototype are the proof that their efforts are paying off.”

Terrafugia, Inc.
www.terrafugia.com

ANSYS, Inc.
www.ansys.com

::Design World::

Source: :: Design World ::

The D-Cubed 3D DCM (Dimensional Constraint Manager) will now be deployed in any in-house software application that requires a 3D geometric constraint solving component. The 3D DCM is already integrated in NX™ software, which Joe Gibbs Racing continues to use for all aspects of product development.

Hendrick Motorsports, winner of the 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship; Joe Gibbs Racing, winner of the 2000, 2002, and 2005 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship; Roush Fenway Racing, winner of the 2003 and 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship; and Andretti Green Racing, winner of the 2004, 2005, and 2007 Indy Racing League® (IRL) IndyCar® Series Championship; have been using Siemens PLM Software for years to help develop their cars and improve their performance on the race track.  KB Racing, winner of the 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006 National Hot Rod Association®   (NHRA®) Pro Stock Championship, began using Siemens PLM Software technology in 2005, and the Renault®  F1 Team, winner of the 2005 Formula One Drivers and Constructors Championships, established a partnership in 2004 using Tecnomatix® software.

Siemens PLM Software
www.siemens.com

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Source: :: Design World ::

Continental will replace its existing PLM system and standardize its three automotive divisions – Chassis & Safety, Powertrain and Interior – on PTC’s Windchill platform. The software will be used as the worldwide PLM backbone for engineering change, multi-CAD data management, ECAD data management and for third-party integration, thus enabling seamless process integration and global collaboration. Windchill is ultimately expected to support more than 12,000 users in both engineering and non-engineering departments.

PTC
www.ptc.com

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Source: :: Design World ::

The HydraForce product-enhanced software will allow complete modeling of an integrated hydraulic circuit inside Automation Studio. HydraForce Distributors and OEM customers will be able to easily design system circuits using HydraForce components and provide quick circuit simulation to verify various system functions including performance calculations, heat-load requirements and other engineering considerations such as horsepower, pressure drop and volumetric efficiency.

HydraForce incorporated over 900 valves, components, and options into Automation Studio, an innovative system design, simulation and project documentation solution for the design and support of automation and fluid power systems.

HydraForce and Famic have developed detailed, functional simulations for Automation Studio software that will simulate HydraForce products performance in a hydraulic circuit, as well as their compatibility with other system components (see Figure 1). Automation Studio provides system animation with interactive operator components such as joysticks, steering wheels, and switches, in order to input proportional function commands to a simulation (see Figure 2).

Figure 1: Real-time functional test of a hydraulic circuit using HydraForce component

HydraForce and Famic have worked together in the past on i-Design, a hydraulic system design software that allows users to create custom integrated manifold circuits, specify valve assembly layout, as well as determine the price of the assembly.

Figure 2: Real time functional test of HydraForce valve in Automation Studio simulation software.

Automation Studio V5.7 has now incorporated a fully compatibly HydraForce library so that a user can start a project in i-Design and then export into Automation Studio for simulation. Tony Casale, VP of Worldwide Sales and Marketing at HydraForce had this to say about the project, “The integration of HydraForce components into Automation Studio offers a huge advantage to system designers. The time it takes to develop and prototype a machine lowers significantly as the number of iterations of a hydraulic circuit, and testing time decrease. Incorporating our products into the Automation Studio platform and making it compatible with i-Design was the next logical progression for making system design easier on our customers.”

Tony Casale also added this, “i-Design has become the primary vehicle for our customers to submit projects through our sales and engineering department. Because of our previous work with Famic on i-Design, our customers can now seamlessly integrate circuits from i-Design and Automation studio for functional testing prior to quoting and shipping a product. The industry has been trending toward cartridge valves for quite some time now, the inclusion of our products into Automation Studio should help to broaden the awareness of cartridge valves in hydraulic applications.”

Charbel Nasr, President of Famic Technologies, has said, “When companies are faced with challenging economic conditions, management teams have to be very creative in order to do more with less. Automation Studio is making them stand out! The tool improves productivity and efficiency at every step of the product lifecycle. It allows projects to be delivered on time and within their budget limitations. It clearly makes the difference. Most of all, it confirms once again the innovation that Automation Studio brings as a distinctive solution for engineering, training, and servicing of complete systems.”

HydraForce
www.hydraforce.com

::Design World::

Source: :: Design World ::

Recently released MapleSim 4 software sports a number of updates that could help you reduce development time and add higher fidelity to your models. The product now supports a range of domains and includes validated Modelica components for modeling mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, thermal, and signal-flow systems. Model diagrams map directly to your physical systems so they are easier to construct and validate.

MapleSim is a drag and drop physical modeling tool that applies advanced symbolic computation techniques to  produce high-performance simulation models of multi-domain systems.

In addition, system equations are automatically generated from the system diagram and simplified using lossless symbolic techniques to produce an optimal set of equations. These equations can be viewed, manipulated, and analyzed using math notation. An advanced multi-body system handles optimized kinematic and dynamic equations for multi-body systems.

A flexible model construction environment supports block diagram and 3D model construction. Built-in analysis tools support parameter optimization, sensitivity analysis, equation extraction, multi-body analysis, and Monte Carlo simulation. A symbolic scripting language provides access to mathematical solvers, structures, and visualization tools.

3D robot arm
3-D model construction, visualization, and animation can help reduce the time required to build and validate models.

The Electrical Machines library now includes new components for stepper motors. The vector operations components in the Signal Blocks library help simplify working with multiple signals in parallel.

Your models can be deployed to other applications using the built-in optimized code generation feature or through connectivity add-ons for platforms from The MathWorks and National Instruments.

Maplesoft
www.maplesoft.com

::Design World::

Source: :: Design World ::

DraftSight, currently in public beta and available for free download at 3ds.com, is a 2D CAD product that provides users with a better way to read, write and share DWG files. Based on an advanced architecture, DraftSight generally takes a few minutes to download, runs on multiple operating systems, including Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 and is available for professional CAD users, students and educators.

DraftSight is based on Graebert’s acclaimed ARES Commander Edition software, announced in February 2010, with unique features and functionality that bring exceptional capabilities to their worldwide customers as well as the broader market, including students and educators.

DraftSight users will have access to an open online community, accessible through DraftSight.com aimed at providing CAD users with access to new services and products and the ability to unlock valuable data stored in millions of DWG files.

Graebert developed ARES focusing on a number of core benchmarks, with performance being a leading criterion. The program has received global recognition and been noted for both its exceptional speed and feature set. ARES is the end result of more than five years of development by Graebert, one of the pioneers in CAD software development since 1983.

Dassault Systèmes
www.3ds.com

::Design World::

Source: :: Design World ::

OpenAire designs swimming pool enclosures, indoor water parks, and indoor water park structures. The company specializes in operable domed roofs for observatories, retractable barrel vaulted roofs, and large span retractable roof structures for indoor water parks.

OpenAire designs unique structures for water parks, observatories, and other venues that sport domed or retractable roofs.

Its designers use AutoCAD as their primary drafting software program. They claim that using it, they can make changes easily and collaborate with internal and external project partners. Recently, OpenAire worked with the architectural firm Black River Design on the Jay Peak water park project in Jay, VT.

For this project, there are a range of features and components that play a role in the design and build of a retractable roof and operable skylight system such as waterslides. OpenAire is able to work with project partners to manage and ensure alignment of all the moving parts using CAD. OpenAire develops their 3D drawings which are combined with the water park designer’s 3D drawings to facilitate collaboration. The process allows both parties to review the combined files, assess any changes/modifications, and make informed and calculated decisions to correct the issues. According to OpenAire sources, AutoCAD helps reduce errors and time to market.

The company uses AutoCAD and S-Frame software packages to create its innovative designs.

The company also uses S-Frame, a general purpose 2D/3D/4D structural analysis and design software. It helps the engineering staff model the aluminum structure, apply different load criteria and analyze the results. It is the primary tool for job estimations and for designing each project.

Using the software, designers can create customized extrusion libraries. They can add profiles to the library as new aluminum extrusions are designed to meet load requirements. Users can quickly select an extrusion as they are working on a project and save a newly designed extrusion for later recall as needed.

In designing Jay Peak’s retractable roof, snow load was a significant challenge. By tracing an AutoCAD file in S-Frame, the program identified parts that could be overstressed due to snow load changes as a result of wind and the way the snow falls on the roof. Using S-Frame, OpenAire designers were able to account for and analyze any potential snow load situations.

OpenAire
www.openaire.com

::Design World::

Source: :: Design World ::

The Artega GT is a mid-engined, rear wheel drive, high-performance sports car designed by Henrik Fisker, the man responsible for the Aston Martin Vantage and the sweeping lines of the BMW Z8. The two seater GT has an aluminium space frame and carbon fiber reinforced body. Providing the power is a Volkswagen-sourced 3.6L V6 engine reaching 60mph in less than five seconds.

Within the framework of this project, DECS GmbH manufactures the front bonnet, tailgate, and roof.  Ulrich Krämer, Managing Director of DECS GmbH explains how the project started. “Artega originally contacted us because we have been involved in a number of projects with other prestige automotive clients and possess the skill and knowledge required for the development of composite components. For the initial pilot project, we first created five parts using a prototype tool. During the second phase we produced a pre-series set of tooling for the front bonnet and tailgate for testing. After successful pre-series testing, we now manufacture the complete suite of production parts for the front bonnet, tailgate, and roof.”

DECS GmbH produces polyurethane-based composite components using a honeycomb core. This is especially relevant in the development of automotive interiors as the potential weight reduction is extremely attractive to car manufacturers. Natural fiber-reinforced polyurethanes are being used more and more in the automotive industry and it is now possible to produce parts with wall thicknesses of 1.5 – 2.0 mm – depending on the unit weight of the natural fiber mat used. These end products weigh about 45% less than products created using conventional injection molding materials.

One example of process optimization is the use of Huber & Grimme gantry milling machines, which are equipped with efficient two shaft spindles and tandem work-tables for multi-axis part trimming. Once the body panels are removed from the tool, they are placed onto jigs and fixtures for part trimming and additional CAM operations. All 5-axis operations are programmed using VISI Machining from Vero Software and posted using a Siemens 840D controller. Due to the complex nature of multi-axis machining, NC programs are also simulated prior to running on the shop floor. The simulation checks against the physical machine limits and ensures process-safe tool paths.

The relevant jigs and fixtures are also designed using VISI and produced at DECS. “VISI is the ideal tool for the construction of the trimming jigs”, explains Krämer. “One major advantage is the ability to constantly switch between solid and surface technologies. This is vitally important to us and allows us to follow a flexible design path. VISI provides interfaces to all the significant data formats such as CATIA, UG, Pro/E, STEP, IGES, and SAT and this allows us to handle our clients’ native CAD data with confidence.”

VISI has been in use at DECS GmbH since 2005 when the software was provided as a solution for simultaneous 5-axis milling to solve a problem that involved the complicated trimming of plastic parts with undercut positions that could not be could be processed with water-jets.

Vero Software
www.vero-software.com

::Design World::

Source: :: Design World ::

The announcement was made at the Microsoft World Partner Conference in Washington, D.C., and represents one of several projects being jointly pursued by Siemens PLM Software and Microsoft to test and validate how cloud computing can be successfully used with PLM to create value for the global manufacturing industry. On June 28 Microsoft conducted a separate PLM-based cloud computing demonstration involving software solutions from Siemens PLM Software in front of more than 1400 attendees at the Siemens PLM Connection User Conference.

DPV – a part of the Tecnomatix software suite of digital manufacturing solutions – is the industry’s first PLM-based closed loop quality system enabling the collection, management, analysis, and reporting of quality measurement information tied to real time production results. Tecnomatix DPV leverages Teamcenter PLM software to incorporate as-built production information, coupled with real time production quality data, in the same environment used to manage the enterprise’s product, process and manufacturing data.

Some organizations – such as remote manufacturing locations or outside suppliers – may not require a full PLM resource infrastructure, but can still benefit from this type of state-of-the-art quality management technology. Through their partnership, Siemens PLM Software and Microsoft joined forces to create an environment in which Tecnomatix DPV and Teamcenter will run in the cloud with the Windows Azure cloud services operating system, and utilize the SQL Azure relational database. This will allow them to test and demonstrate scenarios, in which the power, flexibility, and value of this PLM-based quality management solution could be securely delivered without the need for a full in-house enterprise IT system. Once validated, the result will expand the availability of PLM quality solutions and enhance deployment options through an on-demand environment.

In addition to the DPV-Azure project, the company is jointly engaged with Microsoft on several other ways to effectively leverage cloud computing. For example, the June 28 demonstration conducted at the Siemens PLM Connection User Conference, depicted product development collaboration in the cloud utilizing the Windows Azure platform to securely and automatically share 3D product information using the standard JT data format and PLM XML data format, between an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and its suppliers.

Siemens PLM Software
www.siemens.com

::Design World::

Source: :: Design World ::